Danny Ainge had a long night with little to do

Friday

Jun 26, 2009 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2009 at 5:18 AM

Mike Fine

As the Minnesota Timberwolves were collecting four point guards in the first round of the NBA draft Thursday night, it was natural to stare at the TV and think, “When is Danny going to pull the trigger?”

Ainge had been critical of point guard Rajon Rondo a couple of days earlier, and while he tried to soften his stance by saying “I love Rajon,” there were all those persistent trade possibilities floating out there. It figured that the Celtics’ president of player personnel would be doing something, anything, rather than sit on his hands.

Ainge, after all, had made several draft-night deals over his tenure. That’s how he picked up Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis and Rondo himself. Two days earlier, Ainge even said, “I wish we had a first round pick,” but it was wishful thinking.

In reality, Ainge doesn’t want to get younger. He’s had his fill. More than half his current roster is comprised of players with five or fewer years of experience and he doesn’t want to be locked into a three-year contract worth several million dollars. What Ainge is planning to do this summer is look for a free agent big man who’ll fit the Kevin-Garnett-Paul Pierce-Ray Allen playing model. NBA teams win with veterans, not youngsters, after all.

So Ainge and his staff sat back and relaxed, waiting for their 58th pick, the lowest pick they’ve ever had during the lottery era. Only once has a player chosen at 50 or below ever made a mark with the Celtics, and no one to this day can explain why Providence’s Ryan Gomes slipped to No. 50. Beyond him, Semih Erden, Orien Greene, Brandon Hunter, Kris Clack and Ben Pepper weren’t exactly Boston’s cup of tea. On the other hand, back in the good old days, Rick Carlisle made it after being picked No. 70, Carlos Clark at 91, Charlie Scott at 106 (after starting in the ABA), Steve Kuberski at 52 and Rick Weitzman at 110.

In Lester Hudson, the Celtics have a player who barely has an outside shot of making it. He’s not exactly a pure point guard but more of a shooter, almost 25 years old, having taken a sort of long and winding road to Tennessee-Martin, where last season he scored 27.5 points per game, second in the NCAA behind only Davidson’s Stephen Curry.

“I like who he is,” Ainge said. “I like his toughness, his ability to score. He’s got strength and he’s long and one of those guys who knows how to score the ball. I think his strength is as a scorer, but he can handle the ball and create off the dribble. I think he can play with the ball in his hands, like as a scorer.”

Ainge said Hudson can score over people, that he “instigates,” both with and without the ball. Bottom line, though, is that he was a 58th pick and will be trying to make a team that’s two years removed from winning the championship. He does do a little more than Eddie House, who’s strictly a spot-up shooter, but he also has no experience.

In one respect, he’s more like Leon Powe, a young man who grew up under almost tragic circumstances, living with his grandmother because his mother’s Memphis house burned down. He didn’t even graduate from his high school, but eventually got himself together.

One thing’s certain: he is not the big man the Celtics would like to get, but that wasn’t going to happen through the draft.

So the Celtics will now wade into the free agent waters, which won’t be easy. They’re already in luxury tax territory, don’t have a lot to spend and will be looking at a mid-level (about $5.6 million) player from a pool of big men that includes Doc Rivers favorite Grant Hill, Joe Smith, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest, Chris Andersen and Drew Gooden.

“The free agent mid-level talent pool is fairly deep,” Ainge said, “but based on our needs it might not be so deep for us. We’re certainly not gonna spend a mid-level exception on a point guard … on a wing player probably. Probably more likely a bigger player, although there are some good wing players that are mid-level free agents that we would be thrilled to get.”

The Celtics are also in a bit of a quandary knowing that Powe underwent knee surgery on May 5. Beyond that, Davis is a restricted free agent. Should he receive an astronomical offer from another club, the Celts might choose not to match.

Early Friday morning, after the draft ended at 12:07, the Celtics staff was already making phone calls trying to secure a few free agents for the team’s upcoming summer camp. Ainge will be on the phone next Wednesday, when the free agency period opens for current NBA players. That’s how he plans to get his team back to the Finals. The 2009 draft was simply a long night with little to do.

Reach Mike Fine at mikefine@ledger.com. Read more of his Celtics coverage in his On the Hardwood blog at PatriotLedger.com/sports

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.